After Amber greeted me so warmly at Mondstadt's gates, we stepped deeper into the city.
And honestly?
The place looked incredible. The medieval architecture, the stonework, the wooden beams, the rooftops—it all looked far more vivid and alive than anything I had imagined.
While I was busy admiring everything, Amber nudged me with a grin.
"Looks like you're really impressed with Mondstadt, huh, Kane?"
The teasing curve of her lips made it obvious—this was that familiar pride people feel when a tourist falls in love with their hometown.
I smiled back.
"Yeah. The city is amazing. And the people… they look genuinely cheerful. You can tell they're happy."
In my original world, that was rare. Even the NPC-like townsfolk here looked better than the average person from back home. I had already seen a few girls that could easily work as models in my world.
Amber gave me a strange glance at that.
She didn't seem to catch my meaning.
"Well, isn't that normal? There's a reason we call it the City of Freedom," she said cheerfully.
Right—she was seeing it from a different angle.
At least she wasn't asking questions that would expose me. Still… something felt off.
The city was bigger than it should've been.
In the game, once you passed the main gate, Katheryne was right there on the left.
But here, the streets stretched on, shops lined the path, and people moved about freely.
It was fun—being able to explore—but it also meant my knowledge wasn't nearly as reliable as I'd hoped.
Amber tugged lightly at my arm.
"Kane, look—that's Katheryne from the Adventurers' Guild. She helps adventurers accept commissions, claim rewards, that kind of thing."
I followed where she pointed, though part of me was still lost in thought. I kept looking to my left, expecting her desk to be where it always was in the game.
But when I finally saw her—
…yeah. She was gorgeous. Much more than her in-game model ever implied.
Not that it mattered.
Someone else already had my attention.
Amber approached Katheryne first, greeting her with a wave. Then she introduced me.
"Katheryne, this is Kane. I met him today. And… well, it's a little embarrassing to admit, but he rescued me from Hilichurls."
She glanced at me as she said it.
To be fair, those Hilichurls were pathetically weak. I still had no idea how she ended up captured. While I was silently judging her competence, Katheryne extended her hand toward me.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kane. If you are not already affiliated with our Guild, it would be an honor to assist an adventurer like yourself."
I took her hand without hesitation. It was warm, graceful.
"I only did what anyone should. It's nothing special. And yes—I'd like to join your Guild."
Amber was observing us.
She looked… weirdly surprised that I could hold a polite conversation.
Seriously, what did she think I was?
"That's wonderful, Mr. Kane," Katheryne continued. "For your Adventurer ID, may I have your surname?"
Surname, huh?
Yeah, no. I wasn't giving one.
"I don't have a surname. Just 'Kane' is fine."
Katheryne didn't question it. She quickly handed me a bronze-colored badge.
Fast service, I'll give them that.
I examined the badge for a moment. My name was actually engraved on it.
One sec—
Teyvat uses the Latin alphabet?
I wasn't surprised the spoken language matched mine, but the writing too?
That was… weird.
I slipped the badge into my left pocket and continued.
"So the badge is bronze. I'm guessing there's a ranking system?"
Katheryne opened her mouth to explain, but Amber cut in first.
"That's right, Kane! The Guild uses these badges to measure an adventurer's rank. They go Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, and Diamond. If you want to rank up, you need to complete a certain number of commissions equal to your badge level. It works pretty well—everyone does their best since survival depends on it."
Makes sense.
Still doesn't explain how I found you tied to a tree, Amber.
I pushed the thought aside and replied, "Got it. I think we're done here then."
We waved goodbye to Katheryne and continued walking. After a bit, my stomach growled loud enough to echo.
Amber immediately perked up.
Without hesitation, she dragged me toward a nearby restaurant.
Generous girl.